Stockton airport readies for Hawaii flights

Saturday

Nov 10, 2012 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Stockton Metropolitan Airport saw a small gain in passenger volume in October but looks forward to a bigger jump this month as it launches once-weekly scheduled flights to Honolulu, officials said.

Reed Fujii

STOCKTON - Stockton Metropolitan Airport saw a small gain in passenger volume in October but looks forward to a bigger jump this month as it launches once-weekly scheduled flights to Honolulu, officials said.

For the first flight Nov. 18, the airport has spruced up its parking lot, reorganized the terminal to accommodate the larger crowds of passengers expected and is planning a public reception on that Sunday, Airport Director Patrick Carreno said.

"We're just making sure everything is ready to go," he said.

Allegiant, the leisure-travel airline that has successfully offered Stockton-to-Las Vegas passenger service since June 2006 with 150- and 166-seat commuter jets, plans to operate larger Boeing 757 aircraft over the Pacific route with seating for up to 223 passengers.

"It's a lot larger than anything we've had for commercial service here," Carreno said.

Improvements include installation of an automated parking control system, which allows travelers to pay the $7 daily parking charge with a credit card or debit card. It will replace a system that asked users to put payments into an envelope, then drop them into a safe box.

The public is invited to join a free reception at the airport beginning at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 18. There will be refreshments, decorations and small giveaway items, Carreno said.

"Launch day is really kind of a celebration of the new service," he said.

That will include an airport fire department water cannon greeting for the first arrival, scheduled at 3:30 p.m. The airliner will depart Stockton for Honolulu at 5:30 p.m.

A check of the Allegiant.com website earlier this week showed seats on that first Stockton-to-Hawaii flight available for $229. One-way fares for other flights in November and December ran from $99 to $399.

An Allegiant spokeswoman said pricing varies by season and demand. It may change at any time without notice.

Also, the airline imposes additional charges for reserved seating, priority boarding, carry-on bags and checked luggage and other services. Each traveler is allowed one personal item, such as a purse or briefcase, at no charge.

Airport officials reported counting 3,741 passengers through its departure gate in October, up from 3,645 in September. However, that was down from 4,774 departures tallied in October 2011.

Reservations can be made on the company's website at allegiant.com or by calling the company, long-distance to Las Vegas, at (702) 505-8888. An additional $15 fee is levied on tickets booked by telephone.